Bag and container tying device



Jan. 18, 1949. JOHNSTON 2,459,530

. BAG AND CONTAINER TYING DEVICE I Filed Nov. 21, 1946 FIG. 5

JNVENTOR.

LEWIS E. JOHNSTON Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC BAGAND CONTAINER TYIN G DEVICE Lewis E. Johnston, Winter Garden, Fla.

Application November 21, 1946, Serial No. 711,265

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for speedily tying ofknotsand is particularly adapted for use in tying the closure cords ofcontainers, bags and the like which contain fruits, vegetables and thelike. The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive device of this character which can be conveniently supportedinthe hand of the operator.

The invention has for a further object to provide a device of thecharacter named which is simplein construction, reliable in operationand has no moving parts.

\Other and further objects and certain advantagesof the invention willbecome apparent from the detailed description of the device.

For the purpose of this application there has been elected to set forthone particular structure butit is to be understood that it is herepresented for illustrative purposes only, and is not to be accorded anyinterpretations such as might have the efiect of limiting what isclaimed as the invention short of its true and comprehensive scope inthe art.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to theaccompanying drawings in which: l l

Figure l is a perspectivevie'w of the improved tying device;

Figure 2 is a view of a fruit bag illustrating oneuse of the tyingdevice;

Figure 3 is a view with parts broken away illustrating the first step intying a closure cord, string and the like;

Figure 4 is a view showing the second stage of tying; and

Figure 5 is a view showing the last step of tying a knot. l

' Knot-tying devices heretofore proposed were difiicult to use andincorporated moving parts which resulted on relatively short life.

By the device disclosed in the drawing a tight and secure knot can bespeedily tied and the knot is such that it can be easily untied. This ishighly essential particularly in connection with citrus fruit bags as itpermits inspection of the bag contents without impairingthe closurecord.

It is to be understood that the tying device can be made from anysuitable material, but it is preferred that it be reasonably lightweight materialsuch as aluminum, plastic or the like.

Referring to the drawings in detail, It indicates tying devicegenerally. The handportion .l l which is formed out of a suitable lightweight material, for example aluminum or plastic, is suitably shaped tofit comfortably in the hand of the operator. In one of the body portionsin is formed an opening 12 by means of which the device may be securedto the wrist of the operator. Adjacent the other of the body portion iscut-out portion l3 and the and terminates in rounded end members l4 andI5. Positioned between the members l4 and I5, but rearwardly from theirends, is member f6 which is provided with hook-like portion l1.Shoulders l8 are formed adjacent the sides of the member [6. On theseshoulders the securing means such as cord [9 lay when the knot is beingtied.

In Figure 2 is shown a fruit container or bag I8 with the closure meansl9 secured adjacent the open end.

The manner in which this device may be used will now be described,reference being had to Figures 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings. The knottier is held in the right hand, hold the fiat side of device as shown inFigure 3. Pass the device under the string to be tied which is held inthe left hand. The loose end of the string should now be passed underthe hook portion I! ofthe member l6 and pulled loop down tight againstthe hook. The device or tool should be held tight against the top of thebag or container as shown in Figure 4. The too] should now be pulledaway from the bag with a short jerk. The knot is now tied with the cordunder the hook member I 1 and lying on shoulder [8 on both sides ofmember IS. The tool is titled slightly to release it from the knot.

The bag tying device ties a knot that is tight and secure but that caneasily be untied by pulling on the free end of the cord and the contentsof the container or bag can be inspected. The cord can be retied as thecord has not in any manner been impaired.

The device has no mechanical parts to wear out and this insures a longlife. Closure cords can be speedily tied without injury to the openator,and the tool is so formed that the cord does not slip off the hookduring the tying operation.

These results are obtainable through the fact that the particular way inwhich the end zones of the closure cord are positioned on the device orimplement preliminary to the withdrawal of the latter, have the effectof producing a knot of the slip-knot type, a knot known as the singlebowline knot. This form of knot remains tied as long as the free ends ofthe cord are not pulled and a pull on these withdraws the loop from thebight and breaks the bl ght efilect. Hence, the knot so formed isnecessarily tem porary in nature due to the ease with which it can beuntied. Because of this vulnerability,

the knot differs from knots used for splicing, the latter generallyincluding jam characteristics designed to prevent unloosening of theknot by pulling on either end.

To form the present knot by the use of the implement, care must be takento follow the procedure indicated in Figs. 3 to 5 in certainparticulars, viz: in training the two ends, which can beconsideredasa'unit, care must be taken that in completingtheconvolution' as in Fig; 4, the leading end must pass in rear of thetrailing end, with the leading end then carried forward to the openended slot 'without changing sides until the slot is reached; theleading end is then carried through the slot in'reaL-r ofthe hook, andthen led forward; on such other side. The same results are obtainedwhether the beginning of the convolution is provided'on the same side asindicated inFig. 4 or on the opposite side, but the succeeding laying ofthe leading en'd must present the above indicated conditio'ns. When the'i mplem'ent'is Withdrawn suddenly a's indicated, the bight. provided bythe convolution'is' passed into overlying relation to the'trailirlg andleading end zones with the hook producing the loop, doing this withoutslippage. By It'hen removing 'the'loop irom the hook, the implment' 'iscofi1pletelyreleased from the tied container.

A 'knot ofthis typ'e is of particular advantage in thepar-ticular's'ervice for which the implement 'is provi'dedpsimeit'provides eficient packaging if-"left undisturbed, but-is available atall times for releasing the knot to permit inspection of package-content without breaking or ailecting theco'rdgs'o that 'the packagecan be re-tied'b-y nse of the samecord. With the implement employed for"the re-tying action, the container is given i-ts initialcharacteristics,although it had been opened andits content inspected.

"Si-rice the hook is of less thickness than the thickness of the bodyportion','thus providingt-he shoulders 18, the developin loop producedby passing the convolution from the 'bodyhver the nose of the implementoffers no obstruction to the free movement' of "the convolution being'cast off, the threads of the loop lying above the shhulders f8.

As will 'b'e'hnderstood, a knot of this type rednires that the bight"must 'b'epositioned at an intermediateep'oint in-t'lie "combined lengthof 'th'eF fr-ee ends of the closure cord and of the developed loopgan'd'that such free ends-andthe loop iriust" ex'tend Y for material'distances beyond thebight, i f 'theknot'is to remain tied. "If the loop 'is' o'nb'ut slight *or small length extent, it is releasable byslight drawing of the 'free ends, possibly "by "accidental manipulation.If the "free ends' 'of the cord be" of slight or small extent, -siini'la-iaccidental manipulation of the-loop ea-n -draw such 'endsthrough the bight and thus trainsform t-he knot into a non-slip orjamtype -.l not. "Po-"assure the proper conditions-in this respect; -therear'Wardly-open f-ace -oft'he hook :is 7 spaced materially "rearward ofthe' end of the hose to 'assurethe=formation of a-loop of the de's ired'l'en'gth,"While the procedure of moving the implement into "closeproximity to the contaiihenby lateral movement of the implement atterthe convolution ha's-loeenmade assures the production -of free ends of a*desired length extent beyond" the b'ight.

l.--A- not tying implement for tying closure cords ef containers;wherein the-ends sof the closure cord are tied with a knot of theslip-knot type to produce a temporary closure of the containerreleasable by drawing upon the free ends of the cord, said implementcomprising a generally fiat body-portion having one end zone formed as anose for positioning the closure cord end zones thereon with the latterincluding a portion having a convolution relation to the body proper andwith siich cordend' 'zones arranged to produce the kriot 'by movemeritof the applied zones relative to the direction of length -=o'f theimplement, said implement having its "nose "zoneof decreasing widthtoward the end of the nose with such nose zone bifurcated, theo-ppos'ite side-walls of the bifurcation being substantially symmetricaland spaced apart to provide an open-ended recess portion having thewidth-pf its open endsufficient to permit the free passage of a formedloop therethrough and with the recess enlarged rearwardlyots-uch open'end, one of the sidewalls of the recess carrying a hook=formationuprojecting into the enlarged Zone of ther'ecess with theprojected length less than the Width of such=enl anged -zone,-said hook:having a rear face; positioned remote -f-rOm-the end of the nose-adistance greater than-the width-oi the-enlarged-zone of the recess,whereby after the cord end zones havebeenalpplied to the nose end zoneofthe implementwith such cord "end-"norms extending "throng-h -the.recess en-larged zone in rear ofthe rear hook 'tace- -and the appliedformation tight'ened-.-to.--.place the implement 'in' close proximity tol the container, "sudden- Withdrawal i movement ofthe --imp-lementlengthwise will develop -the-knot formation with the knot bight- -and--freecordends externalof the recess and with a 'closedloopmounted onthehookand releasable therefrom for freemassage tl irough the'o'pen end" ofthe recess-with the loop intact,=the*distance dimension of the hook/rearia'ce and theposition Of ibhe implement relative to the container vpriorto the withdrawal movement causing the knot to be formed-witmitslooplengtlr and free cord end portions projecting' onopposite-sidesof-t-heknot bightwith the projected lengths amplysufficient to maintain -knot integrity in Ithe absence--ofintentionalrelease of the loop of the knot by drawing onthe-ireeends of themord.

2. An implement 'as l-n'--claiml charaeterized in t'hatt'he --th-icl:nessof -the hook. is materially less than the thicknessei the body ofthe' limplement to thereby presents-shoulders within t'henose open endon oppositesides :of the hook and above which loop portions mayrestduriing the movement {of '-the convolution portion within thecasting-off period, whereby the rapid withdrawal-of the implement may beprovided without int erference'between the convolution portion and thedeveloping loopwtormation to assure proper positioning of the-bightotgthe knot.

